Pneumatic apparatus having detachable mounting means



March 10, 1970 J, 5, BALLANTINE 3,499,368

PNEUMATIC APPARATUS HAVING DETACHABLE MOUNTING MEANS Filed Dec. 21, 19672 Sheets-Sheet 1 il -a l INVENTOR w ams afiaf/anfi'ne ATTOR N EYS March10, 1970 J. 5. BALLANTINE 3,499,368

PNEUMATIC APPARATUS HAVING DETACHABLE MOUNTING MEANS Filed Dec. 21, 19672 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY 'a fi ATTORNEYS United States Patent PNEUMATICAPPARATUS HAVING DETACHABLE MOUNTING MEANS James S. Ballantine, P.O. Box307, Absecon, NJ. 08201 Filed Dec. 21, 1967, Ser. No. 692,535 Int. Cl.F15b 11/16, 13/042; F01b 19/00 U.S. Cl. 91-418 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE The invention relates to pneumatic apparatus havingdetachable mounting means including differential diaphragm devices suchas differential valves and pilot operated differential valves. Thedifferential diaphragm valve device is positioned at the front of thepneumatic apparatus, and the pneumatic apparatus is engaged andsupported by a groove or slot which surrounds a tongue on a support, theopposite end of the pneumatic apparatus being supported by securing abracket to a slotted or perforated flange on the support.

The present invention relates to pneumatic apparatus having detachablemounting means, including differential diaphragm devices for programmedcontrol of machinery, including stack assemblies for player pianos andorgans.

A purpose of the invention is to mount a differential diaphragm devicein combination with a pneumatic device in adjustable position on asupport.

A further purpose is to support one end of a differential diaphragmdevice by a longitudinally extending tongue engaging a slot, and to holdthe device at the other end or near the other end by a bracketcooperating with the flange and provided with a slot or perforations.

A further purpose is to provide a differential valve assembly with avalve housing or a plurality of valve housings at the front and abellows-like device behind it, mounting the bellows-like device so thatit is slidable laterally in the support to an adjustable position, andcan be clamped in the proper adjusted position.

A further purpose is to permit ready replacement of a defectivedifferential valve assembly by simply disconnecting it from the push rodor other output mechanism, detaching the connection between thebracket-and the flange of the support at the front end, detachingthepneumatic connection and sliding the assembly forwardto release thegroove or slot from the tongue or other interlock at the back.

A further purpose is to locate the tongue with respect to the slotsothat the portion of the device which is between the tongue and thesupport is crowded or tightl gripped between the tongue and the supportto guard against any play or freedom transversely.

A further purpose is to provide an improved combined pilot and secondaryvalve for easy mounting on a support as part of a stack assembly.

Further purposes appear in the specification and in the claims.

In the drawings I have chosen to illustrate a few only of the numerousembodiments in which my invention may appear, selecting the forms shownfrom the standpoints of convenience in illustration, satisfactoryoperation and clear demonstration of the principles involved,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective of a preferred form of diaphragm device of theinvention.

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevation of the device of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation of the device of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a central longitudinal section of the device of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the device of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a bottom plan view of the device of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of a stack assembly including apneumatic and a pilot operated differential pressure valve or pneumaticamplifier mounted according to the invention.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary central section of the pneumatic and the pilotoperated valve of FIGURE 7 in actuated position.

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to FIGURE 8 showing th valve in inactiveposition.

Describing in illustration but not in limitation, and referring to thedrawings:

The present invention is applicable to a wide variety of programmedcontrol devices which may be employed for operating machinery such astesting machines, or machine tools, for operating electrical devicessuch as electric signs, or for manipulating what may be generally calledoutput mechanism to operate a player piano or an organ. Many other typesof mechanism involving programmed control can be controlled by thedevice of the invention.

In all of such devices, difficulty in functioning has occurred which hasnecessitated replacement or repair of individual differential diaphragmdevices. Also from time to time it is desirable to obtain most effectiveoperation to be able to adjust differential diaphragm devices laterallyso that they can effectively align with the output mechamsm.

In the prior art differential diaphragm devices have been assembled andmounted by adhesives or by bolts which are not readily accessible. Oncemounted, such devices have been difficult to remove and when replaced ithas been troublesome to realign with an output mechanism such as a pushrod.

One of the improvements in the invention is that the differentialdiaphragm assembly, consisting of a pneumatic and a differentialpressure valve, or a plurality of cooperating differential pressurevalves, are readily removed in toto and readily replaced.

A further advantage of the device of the invention is that when replacedor during replacement lateral shifting of position is readilyaccomplished.

The differential valve of the invention in its simplest form is not apart of the present invention, being described and claimed in mycopending application Ser. No. 682,403, filed Nov. 13, 1967 forProgrammed Control Device. This is incorporated herein by reference.

Referring particularly to the drawings, I there show in the preferredform of FIGURES l to 6 a support 20 which is conveniently a plate 21having a flange 22 at the front and a reverse bend at the back providinga tongue 23 directed toward the front. It will be evident that thesupport can extend horizontally as in a player piano where it extendsfrom side to side, or may extend in any other desired direction to meetthe requirements of a particular piece of machinery.

The differential diaphragm device in the simplest form consists of apneumatic operating device 24 which in the case of a player piano iscommonly called a pneumatic and which is anchored to the support, and adifferential valve 25 supported on the pneumatic operating device 24 anddesirably projecting forward from it, as shown.

The pneumatic output device or pneumatic 24 comprises a body 26 which isin spaced relation from a moving bellows plate 27 to provide a chamber28 between them, the body 26 and the plate 27 being flexibly connectedby pneumatically leakage-tight bellows cloth 30 which forms a hinge 31conveniently at the forward end and which is pleated at the opposite end32 and at the sides at 33 so that the pneumatic can move the plate 27from its retracted position, as shown in FIGURE 4, to collapse it to itsoperating position as shown in FIGURE 8. Secured on the bellows plate 27is a metallic extension 34 secured to the bellows plate 27 as by screws35 and at its rearward end the extension 34 has a ball socket 36 whichreceives a ball 37 on a push rod 38, the push rod passing through anopening or slot 40 in the extension 34 and held against unintentionalseparation by a nut 41 threaded on the push rod 38.

The pneumatic 24 has an internal passage 42 through the body 26 which atone end receives nipple 43 of an exhaust port 44 from the differentialdiaphragm valve 25. A bracket 45 is clamped between the pneumatic body26 and the valve 25 and has an annular opening 46 around and in spacedrelation to the nipple 43, the thickness of the metal of the bracket 45being adequate to control the compression of an elastomer backing ring47, limit the compression of the backing ring 47, such as an elastomericO-ring, by valve housing 48 as it is urged against the bracket 45 bystrongback 50 anchored in the body at the ends at 51 (FIGURE andextending through slots 52 at the sides of the pneumatic body andthrough slots 53 at the sides of the valve housing 48 to pass throughopenings in a clamping plate 54 at the front. Threaded ends 55 of thestrongback receive nuts 56 which tighten the clamping plate and thevalve housing against the forward side of the bracket and center thebracket with respect to the packing to compress the packing or O-ring47, between the nipple at the inside the bracket 45 at the outside, thepneumatic body 26 at the rear and the valve housing 48 at the front, asbest seen in FIG- URE 4.

The pneumatic at its rear has a slot or groove 57 which extendslaterally and is so located as to tightly grip the portion 58 of thepneumatic body in the reverse bend 60 of the support so that the rearend of the support is gripped tight by the plate 20 at one side and bythe tongue 23 against moving in reaction to the push rod 38. Thepneumatic is forced into this position and held in this position byengagement of the bracket 45 with the front of the flange 22 on thesupport, the pneumatic and the differential diaphragm valve assemblybeing adjusted laterally along the tongue and held in adjusted positionby tightening bolt 61 extending through an opening 62 in the bracket 45and extending through a lateral slot or one of a series of perforations63, the slot running a considerable distance along the flange 22, thedistance normally being sufiicient to cover the span of severaldifferent pneumatics but being shortened in FIGURE 1 for illustrationpurposes.

While the construction and operation of the differential diaphragm valvein the form shown in FIGURES 1 to 6 does not comprise the subject matterof the present application, it will be understood that the differentialdiaphragm valve in one embodiment, as shown in FIG- URE 4, may consistof a diaphragm housing 64 which has, extending across it and suitablysealed at the outer circumference to it, a diaphragm 65, suitably of anelastomeric material such as synthetic rubber. The diaphragm at theradial inside desirably has a piston portion and annularly around this aseries of annular convolutions which in cross section are curved andmerge at the radial inner and outer edges by curved portions, therebeing a rim which is sealed in the housing. At one side of the diaphragmthere is a pressure control chamber 70 connected by a pressure controltube 71 with a tracker bar orifice, as well known, the orifice beingadapted to be closed by a paper or other strip or selectively opened bya perforation therein. At the other side of the diaphragm there is aplenum chamber 72 connected by a plenum connection 73 with a suitablesource of control pressure, desirably a vacuum pump. Through the centerof the diaphragm extends a hollow tappet 74, closed at the end, andwhich has a side wall bleed opening 75 which permits a leakage ofcontrol pressure between the plenum chamber and the control pressurechamber. As well known in the art, the cross sectional area of the bleedopening 75 is substantially smaller than the area of the tracker barorifice and in the preferred embodiment the area of the tracker barorifice may be three or four times the area of the bleed opening.

At the end of the plenum chamber 72 remote from the diaphragm there is aplenum port 76 and coaxial with the tappet in the plenum port thereextends avalve stem 77 of a valve 77', the tappet and the valve stembeing guided to maintain alignment by spiders 78. The valve has suitablecushion seating material at opposite surfaces and at the position shownin FIGURE 4 engages and annularly seals on an annular plenum valve seat80 which is around the plenum port 76. Coaxial with the plenum port 76and opposed to it there is an atmospheric port 81 provided in an endclosure 82 of the valve housing, the end closure, the valve housing andthe parts of the diaphragm housing being held together by a strongback83 suitably spaced from the atmospheric port 81 to avoid air noise, andurging a locking plate 84 which is positioned centrally by a boss 85against the diaphragm housing by nuts 86 threaded on the threaded ends87 of the strongback 83. The various housing parts are sealed by packingrings 88 and 90.

Thus it will be evident that the differential diaphragm valve proper ispositioned on the front of the pneumatic by one strongback so that itcan readily be removed from the pneumatic and the differential diaphragmvalve itself is readily disassembled by releasing another strongback.

In operation of the device shown in FIGURES 1 to 6, once the support isput in position, and the tracker bar is properly located, the stackassembly is positioned by engaging the tongue 23 in the groove or slot57 and in adjusting each pneumatic laterally, and then tightening thebolt 61 at a proper position in the slot or perforation 63. The pushrods are properly located in the extensions 34 to the pneumatics andfastened in position. Plenum tubes are connected to the plenumconnections 73. Tracker bar tubes are interconnected to the controlpressure connections 71 and to the correct tracker bar opening.

In operation of the device, a paper or other strip covers the particulartracker bar opening, vacuum is in the control pressure chamber 70 onboth sides of a strainer 70', having been derived from the bleed opening75. Since the diaphragm is in inactive position, the valve 77' is closedon the plenum valve seat 80 and the interior chamber 28 of the pneumaticis open through exhaust port 44 to the atmosphere at atmospheric port81.

When a perforation on the paper or other strip opens the orifice openingin the tracker bar, air at atmospheric pressure is admitted through thetracker bar orifice and enters control pressure chamber 70. Since bleedopening 75 is ineffective to admit vacuum at the same rate that theatmospheric air is entering, since it is much smaller than the trackerbar orifice, the diaphragm expands or raises in FIGURE 4, convenientlypermitting a slight lost motion of the tappet, and then the tappet 74strikes the valve stem 77 and closes the valve 77 on atmospheric port 81around a valve seat 81'. In this position, vacuum from the plenumchamber 72 enters the chamber 28 of pneumatic 24 and the bellowscollapses, pushing the push rod 38 upward to effectuate any desiredmotion, such as operating a valve or switch or striking a key oractuating an organ pipe, as desired.

In the alternate form of the invention shown in FIG- URES 7 to 9, aprimary valve 90 is connected to the front of the stack, and this issecured to a secondary valve 91 which is connected to the pneumatic aspreviously discussed. In this case a valve housing 48 resembling thevalve housing previously described has been lengthened to not only forma valve housing for the secondary differential diaphragm valve but alsoto assist; in mounting the primary differential diaphragm valve,

and a lengthened strongback 50' extends through grooves in the side ofthe valve housing 48' and clamps the structure together by urging aclamping plate 54 against the valve housing 48' and to tightly clamp thebracket 45 in place and also tighten a packing ring 47 aroundnipple 43,as previously described.

A primary valve housing 94 has a tubular portion 94' which is anchoredin a recess of the valve housing 48' and held in place by a strongback94 anchored in the valve housing 48 and suitably'clamping a clampingplate 94 by nuts as previously described.

Primary valve housing 94 has extending across it and sealed in it anelastomeric diaphragm 96 which has ex? tending through the axis a hollowtappet 97, suitably an eyelet. The tappet 97 has a closed end but has atthe side a bleed opening 98 which is regulated so that its area isconsiderably smaller than a tracker bar orifice to which it is connectedby control pressure connection 100, the area of the tracker bar openingbeing suitably three or four times the area of the bleed. A controlpressure chamber 101 is located in the housing on one side of thediaphragm and a plenum chamber 102 is connected to plenum connection 103suitably from a source of vacuum or other differential pressure.

The plenum chamber 102 has at the axis in prolongation of the tappet avalve chamber 104 which in a reduced diameter portion receives the stem105 of a valve 106, the stem extending down into alignment with thetappet and held in alignment by a spider, not shown. In inactiveposition of the diaphragm there is preferably a slight clearance betweenthe tappet and the valve, but in active position the tappet preferablydelivers a hammer blow to the valve.

The valve has in the plenum chamber 102 a valve element 107 which inclosed position seals on an annular plenum seat 108 and at the other endhas a valve element 110 which in one position seals on an annularatmospheric seat .111 around an atmospheric port 112. The interior ofplenum port 104 (around the valve stem) connects by an output pneumaticconnection 113 with the control pressure chamber 70 of secondary valve91 to be described.

Secondary valve 91 is the same in construction as the differentialdiaphragm valve previously described in connection with FIGURES 1 to 6except that tappet 74 has no bleed opening. It receives plenum (vacuum)through plenum connection 92 sealed by gasket 93 to plenum chamber 102of the primary valve.

In operation, when the strip of paper or the like closes the tracker baropening, then pressure from the control pressure chamber 101 in theprimary valve 90 is equalized through bleed opening 98 and the diaphragmis in inactive position. Atmospheric port 112 is closed as in FIGURE 9and vacuum from the plenum chamber 102 of the primary valve entersthrough connection 113 to the control pressure chamber 70 of secondaryvalve 91. Since the other side of the diaphragm 65 in secondary valve 91is also under the same vacuum, the diaphragm 65 of the secondary valve91 is inactive and the plenum port 76 of the secondary valve is closed,the atmospheric port 81 is open and the pneumatic is in inactiveposition.

When the tracker bar orifice receives air from the atmosphere through aperforation through the paper or other strip (FIGURE 8), then controlpressure chamber 101 of primary valve 90 is subjected to air pressureagainst the diaphragm 96 and this diaphragm deflects and seats valveelement 107 on plenum seat 108, admitting atmosphere through atmosphericport 112 to con trol pressure connection 113 and to the control pressurechamber of secondary valve 91. This deflects the diaphragm 65 of thesecondary valve 91 and closes secondary valve 77' to atmosphere,admitting reduced pressure from the plenum chamber 72 to the interior 33of the bellows of the pneumatic, and the atmospheric air collapses thebellows of the pneumatic and operates the device.

It will be evident that the combination of the primary valve and thesecondary valve as described gives a more powerful operating device andassures more output energy from the pneumatic. In effect, since there isno bleed in the secondary valve which diminishes the operating pressure,the differential pressure valves in FIGURES 8 and 9 act like -apneumatic amplifier.

An important aspect of the invention is in a pilot valve of the typeunder discussion to locate the primary and secondary valves in sequenceon the front of the pneumatic or other operating device, so that thewhole stack assembly can be removed as a unit by the mounting previouslydiscussed.

Another important feature of the invention is that the primary valve hasa bleed opening located in the side wall of the tubular tappet so as toprotect against lodgement of dirt in the bleed opening and also thebleed is through the center of the diaphragm, so that the danger isprevented of expanding the diaphragm more on one side than on the otherso that the tappet could be cocked.

It will be evident that the relation between the tongue on the mountingand the slot on the pneumatic can be reversed, so that the tongue can beprovided on the pneumatic and the slot on the mounting if desired. Itwill also be evident that an equavalent interlocking relationshipbetween the tongue and the slot can be achieved in some other way, asfor example by pin engagement in an opening, or by other suitableinterconnection which is removable by motion forward of the support andis adjustable by motion laterally of the support.

It will also be evident that resilient engagement can be providedbetween the support and the pneumatic at the rear, as by providing aresilient material such as a cushion material on one of the parts whichis to receive an interlocking element such as a pin on another part orby providing a spring or other engaging feature which will relativelyclosely maintain the position of the support and the pneumatic.

In view of my invention and disclosure, variations and modifications tomeet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident toothers skilled in the art to obtain all or part of the benefits of myinvention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claimall such insofar as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope ofmy claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a pneumatic apparatus having detachable mounting means, a supportextending laterally, having a body portion which is generally flat,having at one edge a first interlock which permits relative adjustmentlaterally and having at the other edge an anchorage which extendslaterally, a pneumatic device engaging the generally flat portion of thesupport, having at one end a second interlock which cooperativelyengages the first interlock and provides lateral adjustment and havingat the other end a bracket which engages the anchorage, the first andsecond interlocks comprising a laterally extending tongue and laterallyextending slot in engagement with one another, the pneumatic deviceincluding a bellows which contains one inter-lock, the bellows having ahinge 'adjacent the bracket and the portion of the bellows between theinterlocks and the flat surface of the support filling the space by apressure fit, the anchorage comprising a flange on the support extendingaway from the generally flat surface and engaging the bracket, adifferential diaphragm valve controlling the pneumatic beyond theanchorage, support and pneumatic device, fastening means permittinglateral adjustment which engages and clamps the bracket to the anchoragein laterally adjustable relation and fixes the position of the pneumaticdevice both laterally of the support and also crosswise, and saiddifferential diaphragm valve being secured from the pneumatic device ata position beyond the anchorage, support and pneumatic device.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Anderson et a1. 248--250 X Welin8455 Wright 8456 Betz 8455 X Yetts 84-51 Jameson 84-52 Lane 84-56 Smith84--50 X Wefel 84-55 X Gartin 92-161 X Zadek 248-250 X MARTIN P.SCHWADRON, Primary Examiner IRWIN C. COHEN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl.X.R.

